Courtney Frerichs never competed in the state high school track meet in Missouri but has returned remarkable dividends at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, developing into one of the nation’s top distance runners. She takes a national collegiate best time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase into the Western Athletic Conference championships this week in Orem, Utah.

If you don’t mind veering off the beaten path a little, we have some ideas. We dispatched Kansas City Star writers in every direction to find some of the odder attractions in Missouri and Kansas. Some of these places might not be your final destination, but then again, if you like quirky, they could be. And several are right here in the Kansas City area.

UMKC managed to forge a narrow halftime advantage before faltering down the stretch as the ‘Roos dropped a 61-50 decision to Texas-Pan American in the opening round of the Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball tournament late Wednesday in Las Vegas.

UMKC point guard Martez Harrison has been chosen Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball player of the year. It’s the second time in UMKC’s 20-year Division I history that the program has had a conference player of the year.

For only the second time in its history, the UMKC men’s basketball team enters a conference tournament as a No. 2 seed. The Kangaroos face Texas-Pan American at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The teams faced each other in the regular-season finale and the Broncs won at the buzzer 53-51.

The UMKC men’s basketball team has a chance for an outright second-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference . It would be the second time in the program’s 20-year history of Division I league play that the Kangaroos have finished second alone.

In the end, UMKC’s women’s basketball team simply did not have enough firepower. But, the Kangaroos did show some heart. Despite giving up 12 of the game’s first 14 points, UMKC managed to forge a narrow halftime advantage before faltering down the stretch and losing 61-50 to Texas-Pan American in the opening round of the Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball tournament late Wednesday in Las Vegas.

With its lack of post strength, UMKC has had to rely on its shooting, defense and all-around play of point guard Martez Harrison. But the Kangaroos’ deficiency in the middle caught up with them Saturday in a 77-63 loss to New Mexico State at Municipal Auditorium.

Kareem Richardson’s team at Louisville, where he served as an assistant, often played for big stakes. But this new territory for his UMKC team. the Kangaroos take on New Mexico State on Saturday with first-place in the WAC on the line.